Rod jumping device



United States Patent 3,531,111 ROD JUMPING DEVICE Elroy J. Shafer, 4184 Tungsten Drive, La Mesa, Calif. 92041 Filed Oct. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 766,167 Int. Cl. A63b /22 U.S. Cl. 272-74 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An amusement device that will provide exercise and entertainment for the user in skipping, hopping, or jumping, having a pair of longitudinal rods connected together at their ends by curved in bent, outwardly projecting end portions that project in opposite directions at opposite ends and which curved portions have a connecting bar that spaces the rod members sufliciently to allow the user to be positioned therebetween, and which device is manipulated by the foot of the user to cause the amusement device to rotate over the head of the user and to come to rest in a new position wherein it is again operable by the foot to again rotate over the head of the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Children play with swinging or rotating devices that provide considerable amusement. While these devices are normally more often used by children in their play, these devices can also provide exercise and amusement for adults. Thus it is advantageous to have an amusement device that is easily used by children and adults to provide a repetitive and entertaining movement and which device is inexpensive to make, is simple to use, and has a durable construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an embodiment of this invention, a pair of linear, parallel rods are positioned in substantially parallel alignment and in the same plane. These rod members are spaced a sufficient distance to allow the user to be positioned therebetween. Each of the adjacent ends of the rod members has an outwardly curved or bent end structure that is joined together by a spacer bar providing an integral, rectangular shaped structure. The curved ends at opposite ends of the rod members are directed in substantially opposite directions. Thus when the amusement device is positioned on the ground, one of the curved ends project upwardly and positions the spacer bar horizontally with the ground surface and at a spaced location above the ground surface.

In use, the user steps on the spacer bar with his feet, causing the other curved end of the rod members and the rod members themselves to pivot in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction to a point where the other end of the amusement device moves to a resting position on the ground that is forward of the end that was stepped on by the user. This process is repeated with children hopping over the bar member and thus providing an amusement device for entertainment and exercise.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved amusement device.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved amusement device that is inexpensive to make, is durable in construction, and that is easy to 0p erate to provide entertainment or exercise.

Other objects and attended advantages of this invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and an examination of the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side plan view of an embodiment of the amusement device of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the amusement device illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an orthographic view and side elevation of the amusement device of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the first step in use of the amusement device of this invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a second step in the use of the amusement device.

FIG. 6 is a third step in the use of the amusement device.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the amusement device returned to its static position to be operated again.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the amusement device comprises a pair of parallel rod members 14 and 24 having curved on bent end portions 12 and 26 at one end and oppositely directed end portions 16 and 22 at the other end. The curved portions are joined at their respective ends by spacer rods 18 and 30 to provide an integral structure having sufiicient space so that the user is positioned between the linear rods 14 and 24. It should be understood that the device may be made of plastic or other suitable materials.

In use, the amusement device is positioned on a ground surface 40, as illustrated in FIG. 4, and a users foot 32, positioned on the top surface of the spacer bar 30, is pressed downwardly. As illustrated in FIG. 5, this causes the other end or the opposite spacer bar 18 to move in a clockwise direction 19, as further illustrated in FIG. 6, to an end position as illustrated in FIG. 7. The amusement device 10 is thus returned to a static position and is again ready to be operated in the manner previously described by pressing downwardly with the foot 33.

The children in playing with the amusement device are normally positioned between the side members 14 and 24 and may also be positioned in front of or back of the bar member 30 or 18. Generally the amusement device may be used by pressing down with the foot on bar 30 and then quickly moving the feet and jumping over the bar with the feet positioned as illustrated in FIG. 6 so that the respective feet 32 and 33 are in position to again rotate the amusement device. A plurality of children can simultaneously play with the same amusement device by positioning themselves in various positions around the moving structure. Hopping, skipping, or jumping is accomplished by jumping over the upwardly projecting bar, either during its movement or when in a static position on the ground.

Thus I have provided a simple and relatively inexpensive and yet very useful and amusing device for use in play by all types of persons.

Having described my invention, I now claim.

1. An amusement device for being manipulated by a user comprising,

an integral structure having a pair of longitudinal rod members that are adjacently positioned with a space therebetween sufficient to receive a user,

each end of said rod member having a bent end,

said bent ends at one of the adjacent ends of said rod members being bent in a first direction,

said bent ends at the other adjacent ends of said rod members being bent in a second direction that is substantially opposite to said first direction,

and the ends of said bent ends of each of said rods being integrally interconnected by a spacer rod and such spacer rods being the only interconnection between the rod members, and the distance between the spacer rods being greater than the height of a child user.

3 4 2. An amusement device as claimed in claim 1 in 7. An amusement device as claimed in claim 6 in which, which, said rod members are linear and are positioned substansaid spacer rods are linear and are in substantially the tially parallel and in the same plane.

same plane. 8. An amusement device as claimed in claim 1 in which,

3. An amusement device as claimed in claim 2in which, 5 said bent ends having individual lengths that are less said bent ends are bent to an angle less than 90 degrees than one-fourth of the length of said rod members.

in a direction outwardly from the ends of said rod members, References Cited 4. amusezlnent deg/icet as claimed in claimt 3 irt1hwhic4h(S UNITED STATES PATENTS sai en en s are en 0 an ang e grea er an degrees relative to said rod members. 10 3228684 1/1966 Clawson 27257 5. An amusement device as claimed in claim 3 in which, FOREIGN PATENTS said bent ends having linear portions, and the linear portions of respective ends of said rod 380,453 2/ 1939 ymembers being in the same plane. 1 6. An amusement device as claimed in claim 5 in which, 0 RICHARD PINKHAM Pnmary Exammer the linear portion of the bent ends at said one of the R. W, DIAZ A i tant E i adjacent ends of said rod members are in a plane that is substantially parallel with the plane of the US. Cl. X.R. linear portions of the bent ends of said other adja- 20 272-57 cent ends. 

